Amarinder meets Rahul on govt formation

After steering the party to a stupendous victory in Punjab, state Congress chief Amarinder Singh on Tuesday met Rahul Gandhi and discussed issues relating to government formation in the state.

The Congress Vice President credited Amarinder for the party's performance in Punjab, party sources said. Amarinder, who is from the old guard and was initially critical of Rahul's leadership, said after the meeting that he will be happy if the Congress Vice President is elevated.

Sources said, the party high command will approve the list by Wednesday as Amrinder Singh will be taking oath on Thursday.

Total ten names have been submitted by the party state wing. The Millennium Post accessed the names- Captain Amarinder Singh (Chief Minister), Navjot Singh Sidhu, Manpreet Badal, Brahm Mahindra, Razia Sultana, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Charanjeet Singh Channi, Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Aruna Choudhury and Rana KP Singh (Assembly Speaker).

However, still an uncertainty remains with Navjot Singh Sidhu's position in the new Punjab cabinet. According to sources, the Congress brass is unwilling to depute Sidhu as Deputy Chief Minister. Sources claimed that after getting majority in the state, the state chief Amrinder Singh doesn't wish to appoint a Deputy CM for the state.

The two leaders met for around half an hour and exchanged notes. The sources said that the party would finalise plans for government formation in a day or two.

"Today was a courtesy call. We will think and myself and our AICC secretary incharge will sit together and prepare a list. Then, we will come again.... we will then discuss the government formation with our party leadership," Amarinder said after the meeting.

Amarinder, who is Punjab Congress chief, favoured the elevation of Rahul Gandhi as party president saying, "I will be very happy to see Rahulji on top. I have been saying this for a year now. We are very happy to see Rahul Gandhi be elevated. We will all be very happy."

The Congress Vice President also said after the meeting, "Met Amarinder Singh ji earlier on Tuesday. I am confident that Punjab will once again rise to its true potential under a Congress government."

Amarinder also credited every worker and the party's top leadership for the party's performance in Punjab. The Congress has returned to power after a gap of ten years when it was defeated consecutively by the Akali-BJP combine.

The Punjab Congress chief, who was earlier the deputy leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, was highly critical of the BJP forming governments in Goa and Manipur despite emerging as the second largest party. "It is unfair if you break parties and make governments forcibly. This is use of unfair means. You are violating the mandate of people. If by putting together independents, you stake claim to form a government, this is violation of the mandate," he said.